


Serenity

by Lokei



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Jedi Code, Philosophy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-29
Updated: 2008-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-20 05:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokei/pseuds/Lokei





	Serenity

“Have you seen this month’s collection of Padawan debates, Master?”

The smaller being’s long green ears tilted upwards in interest.

“Posted already the entries are?”

“Yes, yesterday afternoon, Master Deriouguina said,” his graying former Padawan replied, with a hint of surprise in his own voice. “A pity, I had thought Qui-Gon wanted to participate, but we only got in-system from our last mission three days ago, there isn’t any way he could have entered this time.”

Yoda made a contemplative noise in the back of his throat. “Have to see the entries, I shall. In the Library Hall they are, yes?” He chuckled gruffly. “Sets interesting challenges, Master Talya does.”

Dooku steepled his fingers over his tea and smiled slightly. “Talya Deriouguina is one of the best debaters I have ever witnessed,” he agreed calmly, and stood to take his leave.

“Do stop by at some time, I’m sure Qui-Gon would like to see you,” he said coolly, and exited with his usual aristocratic grace.

Yoda’s eyes closed halfway as the hatch cycled shut. “Know my Padawan very little some days I do,” he murmured to himself. With a sigh, he gathered his walking stick to himself and headed for the hatch.

Formal schooling for the older Padawans was difficult-so often away on missions, often without breaks of more than a few days in the Temple, a regular schedule of classes was impossible. So among other activities, the Masters organized a bi-monthly rotation of debates, some conducted in person, others as essays entered an then shared with the Temple in general. Topics ranged from science to philosophy to current politics—Yoda vaguely remembered this debate was about an aspect of the Jedi Code. That was always interesting—Yoda enjoyed seeing how each new generation interpreted the Code. Most took the same lines they had been taught, but every now and then there would be an original thought.

The ancient Master liked to see if he could guess any of the writers since the public essays were posted anonymously. Padawans only had to participate twice a year, but many chose to enter more often, enjoying the opportunity to tangle with their peers intellectually and to get the comments of other Masters and senior Padawans on their work. Consequently, certain written voices were always easy to recognize. The dry logic of Ina Jatar and the sly humor of Mace Windu were particularly easy, to name a few.

Crossing the Library Hall in his hover chair, Yoda nodded at those he passed, angling for the wall where it appeared about twenty entries hung. Yoda tilted up one ear—not bad turnout, considering what a busy few months the Jedi had recently had. A great many Master/Padawan pairs had probably not even been informed of this month’s challenge.

A few Master/Padawan pairs were reading the entries already, heads together as they murmured comments to each other. Another Master smiled tolerantly at a pair of female Padawans who were blushing and giggling over something they were reading.

What were they reading? Yoda glanced up at the posted essay topic. “There is no passion, there is serenity.”

Hmmm. Perhaps that entry would be worth reading, once the giggling ones were gone. Yoda scanned the wall, reading here and there, mostly unintrigued by the essays. Someone, Yoda suspected a young Mon Calamarian that he knew, had likened serenity to a pearl and passion to the grain of sand which provoked the oyster. Curious, and a beautiful image, Yoda thought, scribbling a few comments on the comment pad in his crabbed hand. He watched absentmindedly as the panel converted his script to text and then saved the comment for the writer’s later viewing.

Ah, the laughing girls were gone. Yoda hovered over and his eyes widened.

“Ohhhhhh,” creaked his gravelly voice as he leaned forward.

This was interesting.

 _Sine Qua Non ~ Without Which, Nothing_

 _We hear it as crechelings after throwing a tantrum: “There is no passion, there is serenity.” We hear it from our instructors when we lose control in a saber match: “There is no passion, there is serenity.” We hear it from our Masters when we reach the age of difficult hormones: “There is no passion, there is serenity.” It is such a central tenet of our beliefs as Jedi that we say it twice within the four basic sentences of the Code._

 _“There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no passion; there is serenity.”_

 _Most Jedi interpret this to mean the release of all emotion to the Force, as if to feel nothing allows a closer connection to that which binds us all together._

 _I say the Code should read_

 _“Through passion, there is serenity.”_

 _Knowledge may come through books, but true understanding comes from experience—you must know the one to recognize the other._

 _A Jedi leads his life in the spirit of compassion—to “feel with” all the other beings, great and humble, sentient or non. This is another central tenet of the Order—but to obey the one compromises the ability to uphold the other._

 _When does self-control in the name of selflessness become selfish?_

 _Do we not risk becoming too much focused inwards, too proud of our own abilities, too detached from the lives and fates of those we are sworn to serve?_

 _In the heat of battle, even against overwhelming odds, those who fight for their passions, be they home, family, love, or honor, fight with more determination and courage than any who fight for money or duty. How may we understand them if we are counseled never to let ourselves know what they feel?_

 _We are taught in contradictions, that life is sacred and that death is part of the Force, that we are to be diplomats as well as warriors, that we must uphold democracy as products of a culture in which the Master-Padawan bond is the most durable relationship. Contradictions are the stuff of which life is made—may that not also apply to passion and serenity?_

 _In the creation of an artist, is there not both a driving intuitive passion for beauty, and also the serenity of self-expression well-achieved?_

 _In the inexplicable rush of joy we feel in the return of springtime to a woodland, is there not a sense of the greater truths of eternity, the wild small happinesses of birds, the exuberance of blossoms?_

 _In the joining of two minds or bodies, does there not come as deep and vast a sense of peace in the middle of turbulent passions as may ever be felt in meditation?_

 _I say there is—and by cutting ourselves off from our natural responses, we are limiting our own potential. To live without passions is merely to exist—to live with nothing but passion is madness. May we not, living in the Light, and following the guidance of the Force, walk that middle path? Whether it is a role we bear easily or not, the Jedi are leaders in the galaxy, and leaders lead by example. May we, in our actions within and without the Temple, lead in our wisdom and compassion to greater understanding—understanding we ourselves must seek, in the symbiotic nature of passion and serenity._

 _Without it, we are nothing._

Yoda blinked slowly, and hummed deep in his throat as he considered. This was an original response indeed. Though other Jedi in the past had raised such questions, all had been Masters, well versed in the rhetoric of the Code. Never had he seen a Padawan exhibit such bravery of argument. He reached out a hand to leave a comment, and paused. He would bet several of his remaining inches that he could guess the identity of the speaker, and so he would deliver his comment in person.

Eyes gleaming, the wizened old Master hovered back to the exit and across to the turbolift. Croaking out his directions, he permitted himself a gruff chuckle. The Padawan he sought was often difficult to locate, having a tendency for solitary wanderings which was a frustration to his Master. However, Yoda had a pretty fair idea where to find him.

When he was in the Temple, after all, Qui-Gon could almost always be trusted to end up in the Gardens.

Yoda hovered out of the turbolift at the third level of the terraced Gardens within the heart of the Temple. Below him on the first level, the fountains plashed merrily and the scent of orchards rose from the second tier. Busy insects flittered between the second level and this, bearing the gleaming nectar that they would carry back to their hives, making sweet syrups the Jedi would harvest a few months from now. Yoda lowered the chair and stepped out, preferring the feel of plant life underfoot, as his quarry did. Yoda traced the young man’s trail through the insect hives and past the formal flower gardens to the trees on the far side, which housed the aviary.

Birds of all descriptions chirped and sang as he approached and Yoda smiled. There, just as he suspected, sat the young Qui-Gon under a tree by the shallow pond, talking gently to an Alderaanian sparrow, who was chirping back in a most obliging manner.

Sensing the Master’s approach, Qui-Gon turned his head gently, and bowed slowly, so as not to affright the bird nestled in his large teenaged hands. It always amused Yoda to see how graceful Qui-Gon could be here, when he was so frequently clumsy elsewhere.

The old Master settled himself next to the Padawan, who whispered a few words to the sparrow and let it fly away, turning with a smile.

“Master Yoda,” he greeted, his voice finally settled into the deep timbre it would keep for the rest of his life. “I was going to come visit you today.”

“Found you first I did, hmm?” Yoda chuckled.

“Yes, Master.”

“Wanted to congratulate you on your essay, I did,” Yoda said mildly. “Giving yourself away, with your ‘small happiness of birds’ you are.”

Much to Yoda’s surprise, the boy paled and looked troubled. “You don’t think Master Dooku knows, do you?”

Yoda thought back to the earlier afternoon tea. “Thinks you did not have time to enter, he does.”

Qui-Gon blew out a huge sigh of relief. “Oh good. He would be dreadfully angry at me.”

Yoda’s brow creased. “Why think you so, young Jinn? Fond of debate, your Master is.”

“Only when I agree with him,” Qui-Gon muttered, slumping against the tree. “Otherwise he gets cross and says I spend too much time in the Gardens and not enough on my studies.” The boy crossed his arms as if to prevent flinging them out in frustration.

“I told him I think better here, but he doesn’t understand. Our quarters are so…so..” He fished for the word, finally ending dejectedly, “lifeless.”

The diminutive Master perused the boy’s downcast face, and then he patted the Padawan’s shoulder. “Understand this, I do,” Yoda pronounced softly. “Perhaps, when on Coruscant you are, in my chambers you could study. Appreciate the company I would, and often watering my plants need.”

Wonder filled the apprentice’s face like the opening of a blossom to the sunlight. “Really, Master Yoda?” At the older one’s nod, Qui-Gon beamed in delight.

“Tell your Master, I will,” Yoda said as he leaned back comfortably against the tree trunk. “Now tell me about the peace of wild birds you must.”


End file.
